Two men who “invaded” a camp occupied by a group of homeless people under a bridge in Ipswich and attacked and robbed some of the residents have been locked up.

Liam Mongan and his cousin Kieran Mongan went to a group of tents which had been pitched on an area of wasteland under the Princes Street bridge in the early hours of August 3, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Kieran Mongan, who was armed with a knife, entered a tent occupied by Sean Lynn and held the knife to his throat and asked him if he knew someone called “Harry”, said Lindsay Cox, prosecuting.

Mr Lynn, who was bleeding from a small cut on his neck, was pulled out of the tent and was robbed of his mobile phone by Liam Mongan.

Kieran Mongan pulled Harry Perkins from another tent and held the knife to his throat while Liam Mongan robbed Kieran Westrop of jewellery after threatening to “smash his head in” with a guitar he had picked up.

One of the other residents of the camp called the police and the incident ended with their arrival.

Liam Mongan, 22, of Star Lane, Ipswich, admitted robbing Sean Lynn of a mobile phone and robbing Kieran Westrop of jewellery and was jailed for four years.

Kieran Mongan, 20, of Ranelagh Road, Ipswich, admitted unlawfully wounding Sean Lynn, assaulting Harry Perkins causing him actual bodily harm and threatening Sean Lynn with a knife. He was sentenced to 30 months detention in a young offenders’ institution.

Sentencing the men Judge David Goodin said the incident during which the defendants had “invaded” the camp in the middle of the night must have been “absolutely terrifying” for the victims. He said the items stolen by Liam Mongan were returned to the victims of the robberies thanks to the arrival of the police.

Neil Saunders, for Liam Mongan, said his client had lost his job at a local store as a result of the offences.

He said the defendant had been depressed and hadn’t been thinking straight at the time of the offences. “He is desperately sorry,” said Mr Saunders.

Paul Donegan, for Kieran Mongan, said he had gone to the area where the victims of the offences were camping because of two previous incidents allegedly involving people staying there.